The present invention relates to copolymers of higher alkylbenzenes with styrene and to sulfonated derivatives thereof, and to methods of preparing such copolymers and derivatives. In a further aspect the invention relates to detergent compositions and intermediates therefor.
Hydrocarbon surfactants are useful for a variety of commercial applications such as detergents, plasticizers and enhanced oil recovery foaming agents. For detergent applications, it is important that the compound exhibit good foaming properties, water solubility and biodegradability. One of the leading detergents used today is a mixture of long chain alkylbenzene sulfonates. Such, compounds exhibit very good washing properties and adequate solubility properties. It would be desirable to improve the solubility of such detergents, thus improving their cold-water washing ability and in the case of liquid detergents, permitting the concentration of active detergent in the liquid detergent to be increased, thus reducing the weight and increasing ease of handling a given amount of active detergent.
A variety of hydrocarbon surfactants have been described by the patent literature. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,052 describes the preparation of copolymers of styrene and an alpha-olefin. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,052,473 and 4,054,612 are directed to processes for conjugated dienes with aromatic vinyl compounds including styrene. U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,707 describes the preparation of organic sulfonic acid oligomers and U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,524 generally describes a process for preparing a chain oligomer from a vinyl aromatic compound and/or an alpha-olefin or derivatives thereof. British Pat. No. 977,322 is directed to the preparation of certain cycloalkyl terminated styrene copolymers. Processes for manufacturing 1-methyl-3-phenylindanes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. D3,686,339; 3,691,244; 3,723,555; 3,830,863; and 3,860,667. 1-Methyl-3-phenylindane is described in these patents as being a useful starting material for the preparation of dyes and pesticides.